How do you find the location of a payphone number?

A:

Quick Answer

Websites that allow users to look up the locations of payphones by number include Pay Phone Directory and The Pay Phone Project. While neither site is entirely comprehensive, both offer searchable databases of public payphones.

Keep Learning

Pay Phone Directory features a large collection of payphone numbers arranged by region and state. Users can browse a graphic U.S. map and select a region, which brings up a corresponding list of states. Clicking on a state calls up a list of payphone numbers arranged alphabetically by city. Individual listings indicate the specific locations of most public payphones. While the site does offer a search function, entering in a specific phone number only brings up that number?s general state or city listing, not its exact location, meaning users must still browse through the listings to find the number.

Pay Phone Project also offers a searchable database of public payphone numbers. Entering a specific number calls up the exact address of a payphone, as long as that phone is found in the database. The site also allows users to search for pay phone numbers by city, though the results are not always precise. Searching for payphones located in Chicago, for example, also brings up businesses in other cities that feature Chicago in their names. Many of the site?s listings are also abbreviated or truncated, meaning that the location of a payphone may sometimes be difficult to determine.